Belshazzar's Knowledge and the Judgment of Babylon in Daniel 5

Scripture Reading Daniel 5:1-12 Page 881 in the seat back bibles

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Daniel 5:1-12 The Writing on the Wall Part 1

I. King Belshazzar dishonors the Lord (verses 1-4) And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. Daniel 5:22 562 B.C. - Nebuchadnezzar dies Successor Labashi- Marduk reigns for 6 years 556 B.C. - Nabonidus usurps Labashi-Marduk and reigns as king of Babylon for 17 years until the Medes and Persians overthrew the Babylonians in 539 B.C Belshazzar serves as coregent with Nabonidus

In Jeremiah 50 and 51, seven years before the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and Judah, Jeremiah prophesied at great length how God was going to raise up the Medes and the Persians to overthrow and destroy Babylon as a judgement against Babylon. Jeremiah then commanded a Jewish man named Seraiah to go to Babylon, and When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words (Jeremiah 51:61). We know from the book of Daniel that Daniel both knew Jeremiah s writings and he was present in Babylon when Seraiah read these prophecies of judgment against the Babylonians. It is very possible that, as the Medes and Persians were knocking on Babylon s door that Belshazzar knew of the Lord s promise to judge Babylon by their defeat and destruction by the Medes and Persians.

The Writing on the Wall for Belshazzar Piece #1 - He knew of Nebuchadnezzar s humble repentance before the Lord Piece #2 - He knew his father Nabonidus the king had just been defeated by the Mede s and Persians in a battle very nearby and had fled in defeat Piece #3 - He may have known of how God prophesied this would happen in Babylon s ultimate destruction

I. King Belshazzar dishonors the Lord (verses 1-4) 1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.

The king must have lost his sense of decency to commit what is to the Oriental view a sacrilege even with the holy things of another religion. Stephen Miller I. King Belshazzar dishonors the Lord (verses 1-4) 1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.

I. King Belshazzar dishonors the Lord (verses 1-4) 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

II. The Lord quickly responds leaving Belshazzar terrified and desperate (verses 5-9) 5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.

II. The Lord quickly responds leaving Belshazzar terrified and desperate (verses 5-9) 6 Then the king s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

II. The Lord quickly responds leaving Belshazzar terrified and desperate (verses 5-9) 8 Then all the king s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:27

III. A faithful voice sets the stage for Babylons judgement (verses 10-12) 10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. Nebuchadnezzar Nabonidus The Queen Belshazzar

III. A faithful voice sets the stage for Babylons judgement (verses 10-12) 10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. Nebuchadnezzar Nabonidus The Queen Belshazzar

III. A faithful voice sets the stage for Babylons judgement (verses 10-12) 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father your father the king made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

III. A faithful voice sets the stage for Babylons judgement (verses 10-12) 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father your father the king made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

III. A faithful voice sets the stage for Babylons judgement (verses 10-12) 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father your father the king made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, your father the king. Hebrew Text At last Daniel came in before me Daniel 4:8

III. A faithful voice sets the stage for Babylons judgement (verses 10-12) 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father your father the king made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

Closing Thoughts & Benediction